Match-box holder.



' PATENTED DEC. 22, 1903.

(E. A. PARKER.

. MATCH BOX HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2, 1903 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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No. 747,569. PATEN'TED DEC. 22, 1903.

. E. A. PARKER.

- MATCH BOX HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2, 1903.

N0 MODEL. v 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES.

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- UNITED STATES Patented December 22, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

MATCH-BOX HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 747,569, dated December 22, 1903.

I Application filed July 2, 1903. Serial No. 164.012- (No model-l To all whom, it. may concern.- 1

Be it known that I, EDMUND A. PARKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Meriden, county of New Haven, State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Match- Box Holder, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object to produce a match-box holder for safety-matches, so called, that shall be adapted for general use in hotels, restaurants, cigar-stores, and families, which may be made highly ornamental, shall be incapable of removal without the use of tools, and will prevent the theft of matches, owing to the fact that the box-covers, and, if preferred, the box also, are securely locked in place, so that they cannot be removed without destroying them.

By the term safety-matches is meant matches which will not ignite when scratched upon ordinary surfaces, but require for ignition a special friction-surface, which is ordinarily provided on the side of the sliding covers of'the boxes in which the matches are shipped.

It is of course well understood that guests in hotels and transient customers in restaurants, cigar-stores, and bar-rooms sometimes develop a propensity for removing entire boxes of matches from the holders and not infrequently where the holders are attractive and ornamental in appearance remove the holders also as souvenirs. It is for the purpose of preventing the removal of both the boxes of matches and the holders that I have devised this novel match-box holder.

My present invention enables me to provide a safety-match-box holder which shall be itself immovable without the use of tools, will'prevent the removal of boxes of matches, as both the boxesand box-covers may be securely locked to the holder, so that they cannot be removed except by the use of a special key, and which shall not be limited in its use to any special size of boxes, but will receive and retain boxes of matches considerably larger than the bases upon which they rest.

With these ends in view I have devised the novel safety-match-box holder which I will now describe, referring to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and using reference characters to indicate the several parts.

The special design of the holder is of course immaterial so far as the principle of the invention is concerned. 1

Figure 1 is an elevation of my novel matchbox holder as it appears rigidly secured in place, a match-box and cover largerthan the base of the holder being indicated by dotted lines; Fig. 2, a section on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a rear view of the holder detached, the top plate and locking-screw being removed; Fig. 4, a View similar to Fig. 3, the attaching-plate being removed, but the top plate and locking-screw being in place; Fig. 5, a perspective of the top plate detached; Fig. 6, a detail sectional view on the line 6 6 in Fig. 3; Fig. 7, a plan view illustratinga form of my novel match-box holder which is secured to a tray instead of to woodwork; Fig. 8, asection on the line 8 8 in Fig. 7; Fig. 9, an elevation illustrating aform of my novel match-box holder in which the locking-lip for engaging the box is omitted, and Fig. 10 is a section on the line 10 10 in Fig. 9. 1

20 denotes the base of my novel match-box holder, one side of which is provided with a locking-wall 21 and is engaged by a lockingscrew 22, which carries a locking-plate23 and is provided with means, as a head 43, as in Figs. 7 and 8, or an angular hub 24, as in Figs. 1, 2, 9, and 10, for engagement bya key. (Not shown.)

25 denotes a locking-lip upon the base, which is adapted to be engaged by the edge of one end of a match-box, which is indicated by 26, the sliding cover therefor being indicated by 27.

In use the operator pushes the end of the box corresponding with the headless ends of the matchesslightly out of the cover and engages'the end of the box under the lockinglip. He then slides the cover backward, the locking-screw being turned outward slightly until the end of one side of the cover passes between locking-plate 23 and locking-wall 21 of the base, leaving the heads of the matches exposed, as in Fig. 2. The operator then by means of the head or a key that will engage the hub turns the locking-screwinward and clamps the end of the cover between the locking-plate and the locking-wall, as clearly shown in Figs. 2, S, and 10. It will thus be seen that both the box and the cover may be independently locked. to the holder, and neithercan be removed without destroyingit, the box being retained within the cover and held against withdrawal by the locking-lip and the cover itself being clamped between the plate of the locking-screw and the locking-wall upon the base.

If preferred, the outer end of the cover may be partly cut away, as at 28 in Figs. 9 and 10 or as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. If preferred, again, when the holder is used to retain match-boxes the same size as the base of the holder the box may be destroyed and the matches placed in the cover, the headless ends resting upon the base, as in Figs. 9 and 10. Where it is desired to destroy the box and place the matches in the cover, the locking-lip 25, the function of which is to lock the box within the cover, may be dispensed with, as in Figs. 9 and 10. I preferably, however, provide my novel match-box holders with retaining-lips, as it does not add appreciably to the cost of construction and leaves it to the choice of the operator, depending, of course, upon the conditions of use whether he will leave the matches in the box and lock both box and cover to the holder or merely lock the cover to the holder, place the matches in the cover, and destroy the box.

In the form of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, which is especially designed for attachment to woodwork, I contemplate making the parts of both expensive and relatively inexpensive metal, and in order to prevent surreptitious removal of the holders I attach them in place in such a manner that they cannot be removed without the use of tools and without knowing how. 29 denotes a bracket which is offset from the base, may have any preferred ornamental design, and is adapted for attachment to the face of woodwork. In the back of the bracket is a recess 30, in which I secure an attaching-plate 31. This plate may be cast integral with the bracket or be made separate therefrom and riveted, soldered, or otherwise rigidly secured thereto, as indicated in the drawings. At the lower end of the attaching-plate is a beveled recess 32, which is adapted to engage the head 33 of a screw 34, which is previously turned into the woodwork, leaving the head projecting, the head of the screw in the attached position lying in the lower end of recess 30 and being covered by the bracket. The upper end of the attaching-plate is offset at an angle and provided with a screw-hole 35, which receives a screw 36, adapted to be turned into the woodwork after the bracket is in place to lockit securely against removal, the offset upper end of the attaching-plate and the head of the screw lying at such an angle that the screw may be conveniently reached by a screw-driver passed through opening 37 in the base. 38 denotes a top plate adapted to rest on shoulders or ribs 39 on the opposite inner sides of the horizontal portion of the bracket. At the forward end of this top plate is an enlargement or hub 40, which is provided with a threaded hole 41 to receive the inner end of locking-screw 22, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. After the bracket has been secured in place by screws 34 and 36 the top plate is placed in position and the locking-screw turned in through locking-wall 21 of the base and into threaded hole 41 in the enlargement or hub of the top plate, thereby lockiug the top plate in place, so that it cannot be removed without the key, if that form is used. The angular hub of the locking-screw or other means of engagement by the key may of course be made of any uncommon form, so that the locking-key cannot be manipulated except by a person having the proper key.

In all except the cheaper forms of my novel match-box holder, whether used in connection with a bracket or a tray, I provide the bases with locking-lips 25, so that both the boxes and the covers may be locked to the holders, and the holders may be used to retain boxes considerably larger than the base, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4.-.

In Figs. 7 to 10, inclusive, I have illustrated forms of the invention in which the base is attached to a tray 42 instead of to a bracket, the shape of the tray being of course wholly immaterial, the form illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10 dilfering from the other form only in the omission of the locking-lip for engaging the box.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. Adevice of the character described comprising means for securing a match box againstendwise removal, a base having alocking-wall, and a locking-screw having a locking-plate adapted to lock a match-box cover to the holder by clamping said cover between itself and the locking-wall, the said locking wall and plate being spaced to clamp a single thickness of the cover.

2. A device of the character described comprising a base having a locking wall and a locking-lip adapted to be engaged by the end of a match-box while the latter rests upon the base and a locking-screw having a lockingplate, so that both a match-box and the cover therefor may be locked to the holder by clamping the cover between the locking-wall and the locking-plate, the said locking wall and plate being spaced to clamp a single thickness of the cover.

3. A device of the character described comprising a base having a locking-wall and a locking-lip, and a locking-screw having means for engagement by a key and a locking-plate, the end of a match-box in use resting upon the base and being locked thereto by the lip and the cover being drawn backward over the base and locked to the holder by being clamped between the locking-plate and the locking-wall, the said locking wall and plate being spaced to clamp a single thickness of the cover.

4. A device of the character described comprising a base having a locking-wall and a locking-lip adapted to be engaged by the end of a match-box, a locking-screw having a locking-plate adapted to, clamp the end of a match-box cover betweenitself and the lock ing-wall, the said locking wall and plate being spaced to clamp a single thickness of the cover, a bracket formed integral with the base, and means, substantially as shown and described, for attaching the bracket in place.

5. A device of the character described comprising a base, alocking-screw for locking a match-box cover thereto, a bracket connected to the base and having arecess in its back, an attaching-plate in the recess rigidly secured to the bracket. and having a recess to engage a screw-head and a hole to receive another screw and a top plate covering the attaching-plate and engaged by the lockingscrew.

6. A device of the character described comprising a base having a lip for engaging a match,- box, a locking-screw for locking a match-box cover to the base, a bracket having a recess in its back, an attaching-plate in the recess rigidly secured to the bracket and having a recess to engage a screw-head and a hole to receive another screw and a top plate covering the attachingplate and engaged by the locking-screw, so that neither the matchbox, cover or bracket can be removed without operating the locking-screw.

7. The combination with a base and a locking-screw for looking a match-box cover thereto and provided with means for engagement by a key, a bracket connected to the base and having a recess in its back, an attaching-plate in the recess secured to the bracket and having a recess to receive a screwhead and a hole to receive another screw and a top plate covering the attaching-plate and secured to the bracket by the locking-screw.

8. In a device of the character described the combination with a base having a locking-wall, a bracket connected thereto and an attaching-plate on the bracket having a recess to receive a screw-head and a hole to receive another screw, of a top plate covering the attaching-plate and a locking-screw having a locking-plate which coacts with thelocking-wall to lock a match-box cover to the base and also locks the top plate to the bracket.

9. In a device of the character described the combination with a base, a bracket connected thereto and an attaching-plate on the bracket having a recess to receivea screwhead and a hole to receive another screw, of a top plate covering the attaching-plate and a locking-screw whereby the top plate is secured in place and a match-box cover may be locked to the base.

10. In a device of the character described the combination with a base having a locking-wall and a locking-lip to engage a matchbox, a bracket connected thereto and an atcaching-plate on the bracket having a recess to receive a screw-head and a hole to receive another screw, of a top plate covering the attaching-plate and a locking-screw which is provided with means for engagement by a key, engages the top plate and locks it to the bracket and carries a locking-plate which coacts with the locking-wall to look a matchbox and its cover to the base. v

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. I

EDMUND A. PARKER.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR D. MEEKS, HARRY H. HOLT. 

